THE LOWDOWN ON WHAT'S UP THIS WEEKEND >>>
WEATHER REPORTFriday: Rain showers, hi 52, lo 34(!)
Saturday: Partly cloudy, hi 64, lo 41
Sunday: Overcast awfulness, hi 64, lo 43
If you think sidewalk chalk is only good for hopscotch, you've got another think coming. Tomorrow, thousands of South Sound artists will descend upon Frost Park in downtown Tacoma at noon, turning its concrete into canvas for the opening of Frost Park Chalk Off Challenge Season 5ive at Ninth and Pacific Avenue. Witness unbelievable feats of illustration, and create some of your own. Be a part of history as Mayor Marilyn Strickland has proclaimed April 6, 2012 as "Frost Park Chalk Day." Rejoice in the movement initially started as a way for the community to positively "occupy" Larry Frost Memorial Park during their lunch hour every Friday - at least during the warm(ish) spring and summer months. Then vote for your favorite chalk art through online voting on FeedTacoma.com.
Egg-citing times at night: Certain traditions adapt themselves as time travels on. Take the Easter egg hunt. It was fun when you were a kid - watching your parents crawl around, trying to hide a bright pink egg behind a sprinkler head. And there was always the added joy of finding one (hopefully unbroken) three months later. But now you're a parent, and well, it's lost its charm. Or has it? The lovely folks at the Lacey Parks and Recreation host an Adult Flashlight Egg Hunt Friday night. You can now have an egg-ceptional (no, really, ceptions of eggs) time hunting for the eggs hidden on the Regional Athelitc Complex ball fields. Maybe someone will even paint your face.
Tacoma is a living, breathing example of the powerful positive impact art can have on a community. So it's not surprising to see Saturday bringing an event at Tacoma Art Place simply known as Community Art Day. And the title pretty much says it all. Expect workshops, demonstrations and family fun all day, and all for free. A huge raffle will be part of this year's Community Art Day. For $10 each, you could win a two-night stay with breakfast in the Waddell Spa Suites at Courtyard by Marriott, three-course dinner for two at Pacific Grill, a Rasul Mud Chamber treatment at Clara Spa Salon & Studios or Republic of 253 gift certificates. These staycation goodies hit the $1,000 mark in value. Grab raffle tickets now at Tacoma Art Place.
Campy, sarcastic, and sleazy, the Supersuckers offer a mix of rockabilly flavored garage rock. With sex, drugs and Satan as its mantras, the band's lyrics are an uproarious celebration of all of the wickedness habitually associated with rock ‘n' roll - namely sex, drugs and Satan. Motorhead's Lemmy once said, "If you don't like the Supersuckers, you don't like rock & roll." It's safe to say the same applies to Eddie Spaghetti, who, when not leading the Seattle-based rawkers, unleashes solo material for those tired of passionate unplugged anthems for the masses.
Hard to believe that the Tacoma Cult Movie Club has flipped on the projector for three years! But it has, and hosts Rev. Colin, Tobin Ropes and Holland Hume will throw a party Sunday at The Acme Grub Cage - the movie club's ultra-appropriate home. Its membership of deviants, freaks, weirdoes and misfits invite the public to watch the greatest films screened that were, for the most part, overlooked this past year. "Movies with a low attendance or films that simply didn't get the love they deserved," says Rev. Colin. Admission and popcorn are free, as always. In tradition of previous anniversary parties, there will be a potluck for anyone interested. "Please only partake if you participate," says Rev. Colin. "That's how we do it in the good old T-Stank."
CHRISTIAN CARVAJAL Theater Critic
My wife read my plug for the Lacey Adult Easter Egg Hunt (in Nerd Alert) and decided it sounded like fun, so we'll be there. We also have a big Easter dinner with family, plus rehearsals for La Traviata, coming April 28.
REV. ADAM MCKINNEY Music writer
I will be spending the next five days seeing more than 30 amazing bands at the Squeak and Squawk Music Festival. It's been a labor of love for the past six months of my life, and I am thrilled and frightened to see it finally come to fruition. For more information (shameless plug!), please visit squeakandsquawk.tumblr.com. SQSQ For Life!
ALEC CLAYTON Arts Critic
I'll be seeing two art exhibits Saturday to review them my Visual Edge column. I'll be visiting "Creatures of Habit: Contemporary Ceramics" at Fulcrum and the new Iota Gallery in the Jet Building on 19th and Jefferson to see works by Portland artist Susan Cowan.
JENNI PRANGE BORAN Arts and Feature Writer
Saturday will be spent buying candy, then waiting for the child to go to bed so husband and I can fill plastic eggs with said candy. Sunday will be spent hiding eggs, watching child find eggs, then eating ham with family members. Then Squeak and Squawk – Oberhofer, Pond and Wheelies at the Space,6 p.m.!
NIKKI TALOTTA Music Writer
Besides the usual drink pouring and weirdo watching at the bar, this weekend also includes gardening and Easter egg hunts with the kidlets. The in-laws will also make way too much ham and buy way too much candy in order to send us home with two weeks of Easter goodies. I'm prepping my stomach now.
JOANN VARNELL Theater Critic
After a whirlwind spring break trip to Colorado and South Dakota, we will be flying into SeaTac on Friday (which happens to be my husband's birthday). We have a sitter and will be celebrating at the Top of Tacoma. I'll do laundry on Saturday and the whole family will go to church on Easter Sunday.
MOLLY GILMORE Arts and Feature Writer
Catching up on work and likely going to see Animal Farm, in its final weekend at Olympia Family Theater.
JOSH RIZEBERG Music Columnist
Friday I'm hosting Awall A.K.A. 2-Piece & Boombox Massacre's album-release show for BoomMan & Mobbin' at Hell's Kitchen, 9 p.m. There is performances from Cedric the Great, The Gonzo Family, The Koomaniacs, Un Da Rhyme Hustla, Chris Crayzie, and Bo$$ Fam' Officials. I predict it will be the show of the year. Saturday at 1 p.m., I'll be going back to Hell's Kitchen to watch the all-ages Alliance Battle League Battles. It's $5 to get in. This is the first week the League has been at Hell's Kitchen. They outgrew there last-spot at Rum Runners on South Tacoma Way. Come check-out these young-artists and there movement. Sunday I'm resting with My Family!
NICK LEONARD Music writer
Thursday night my group Free Whiskey will be playing The Royal for our last Olympia show for awhile. Friday and Saturday I will be spending in Seattle doing a whole lot of nothing ... and drinking
LINK: Even more local events that we recommend
LINK: Comprehensive South Sound Arts & Entertainment Calendar